CLASS supports Game
Bill Amendment 2009.

The Coalition of Law Abiding Sporting
Shooters Inc (CLASS) fully endorses the Game and Feral
Animal Control Amendment Bill 2009, which has been tabled in
NSW Parliament. In supporting the bill, presented by The
Shooters Party, CLASS acknowledges the importance of
allowing access to National Parks by licenced and qualified
sporting shooters.

Such hunters perform a vital conservation
role, in a voluntary capacity, not only in reducing the
number of feral predators (so improving the survival rate of
native wildlife), but also in tackling the problem of
particular native species, which may have become dominant
from time to time due to climatic conditions, competition or
changes in breeding patterns.

For too long large areas of bushland has
been locked away as National Parks, State Forests etc. In
many of those parks and forests invasive plants, such as
blackberries, bracken, lantana, etc have grown unchecked,
resulting in a great unbalance among local flora leading to
reduced biodiversity among fauna. Permitting conservation
hunting in those areas will help restore the balance, while
permitting controlled harvesting of native and introduced
species for food, trophies or fur/leather.

Many examples can be shown in other
Australian States and in other Countries, where such
activities have proven to be of benefit to the environment,
as well as contributing to the economies of local rural
communities. Licenced sporting shooters have had similar
access to NSW State forests for several years with data
having proven that it is an economical method of reducing
the numbers of feral pests without any negative effect on
forest usage by other groups.

The Game and Feral Animal Control
Amendment Bill 2009 will go a long way to utilising the
inherent value of sustainable resources which would
otherwise be wasted.